# std::filesystem::directory_entry::exists

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< cpp‎ | filesystem‎ | directory entry

bool exists() const; | (1) | (since C++17)
bool exists( std::error_code& ec ) const noexcept; | (2) | (since C++17)

Checks whether the pointed-to object exists. Effectively returns:

1) std::filesystem::exists(status()),
2) std::filesystem::exists(status(ec)).

Note that `status()` follows symlinks to their targets.

### Parameters

ec | - | out-parameter for error reporting in the non-throwing overload

### Return value

true if the referred-to filesystem object exists.

### Exceptions

Any overload not marked `noexcept` may throw std::bad_alloc if memory allocation fails.

1) Throws std::filesystem::filesystem_error on underlying OS API errors, constructed with p as the first path argument and the OS error code as the error code argument.
2) Sets a std::error_code& parameter to the OS API error code if an OS API call fails, and executes ec.`clear`() if no errors occur.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <filesystem>
    #include <iostream>

    int main()
    {
        for (auto const str:
        {
            "/usr/bin/cat",
            "/usr/bin/mouse",
            "/usr/bin/python",
            "/usr/bin/bison",
            "/usr/bin/yacc",
            "/usr/bin/c++",
        })
        {
            std::filesystem::directory_entry entry{str};

            std::cout << "directory entry " << entry
                      << (entry.exists() ? " exists\n" : " does not exist\n");
        }
    }

Possible output:

    // Output on a POSIX system:
    directory entry "/usr/bin/cat" exist
    directory entry "/usr/bin/mouse" does not exist
    directory entry "/usr/bin/python" exists
    directory entry "/usr/bin/bison" exists
    directory entry "/usr/bin/yacc" does not exist
    directory entry "/usr/bin/c++" exists

### See also

exists (C++17) | checks whether path refers to existing file system object (function)

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